November - Vehicle Mass Reduction Roadmap Study 2025-2035 - Carla Bailo Shashank Modi - Center for ...

Page created by Harvey Schroeder
 
CONTINUE READING
November - Vehicle Mass Reduction Roadmap Study 2025-2035 - Carla Bailo Shashank Modi - Center for ...
Vehicle Mass Reduction
 Roadmap Study 2025-2035

Carla Bailo
Shashank Modi
Michael Schultz
Terni Fiorelli
Brett Smith
Nicklaus Snell

                                              November
    © CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2018
                                              2020
                                                 1
November - Vehicle Mass Reduction Roadmap Study 2025-2035 - Carla Bailo Shashank Modi - Center for ...
Table of Contents
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 2
Acknowledgments......................................................................................................................................... 4
Background and Objective ............................................................................................................................ 6
Research Approach ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Estimating Baseline Material Technology ..................................................................................................... 7
Automaker Interview Summary .................................................................................................................. 10
Opportunities for Steel ............................................................................................................................... 13
Opportunities for Aluminum....................................................................................................................... 14
Opportunities for Polymer Composites ...................................................................................................... 15
Opportunities for Magnesium .................................................................................................................... 16
Material Mass Reduction Percentages used in this Study .......................................................................... 17
Secondary Mass Reduction ......................................................................................................................... 17
Understanding the Cost of Lightweighting ................................................................................................. 18
Cost of Materials and Manufacturing ......................................................................................................... 18
Factors Affecting Automaker Lightweighting Targets ................................................................................ 25
Method for Estimating Material Distribution ............................................................................................. 26
Material Roadmap and Incremental Cost ($/kg) – Unibody Vehicles......................................................... 28
Material Roadmap and Incremental Cost ($/kg) – Body-on-Frame Vehicles ............................................. 33
Real-World Challenges ................................................................................................................................ 37
Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................ 39
Appendix A: Curb Weight and Footprint Comparison ................................................................................ 43

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                                                                       2
November - Vehicle Mass Reduction Roadmap Study 2025-2035 - Carla Bailo Shashank Modi - Center for ...
List of Figures
Figure 1: Generic Mass-Reduction Cost Curve............................................................................................ 18
Figure 2: Hot-Rolled Steel Price Trend ........................................................................................................ 19
Figure 3: Aluminum Price Trend ................................................................................................................. 20
Figure 4: Factors affecting CF and CFRP Cost or Price ................................................................................ 21
Figure 5: 2020 Baseline vehicle material distribution- Unibody ................................................................. 27
Figure 6: 2020 Baseline vehicle material distribution - Body-on-Frame .................................................... 27
Figure 7: Material Penetration for each Scenario - Unibody Vehicles........................................................ 29
Figure 8: Technology Pathway and Relative Cost for Unibody Cars and SUVs ........................................... 31
Figure 9: Technology Pathway and Relative Cost for Body-on-Frame Vehicles ......................................... 36

List of Tables
Table 1: Vehicles studied for baseline material analysis .............................................................................. 7
Table 2: Materials in MY2020 versus MY2016.............................................................................................. 8
Table 3: Curb weight and Footprint Comparison: current model year 2020 vs previous model year 2016 9
Table 4: Drivers that will govern the importance of ligthweighting in the 2025-2035 timeframe ............ 10
Table 5: Mass Reduction Potential of Materials ......................................................................................... 17
Table 6: Mass Reduction percentages of each material used for this project ........................................... 17
Table 7: High and Low-Cost Scenarios for Materials 2025-2035 ................................................................ 23
Table 8: Manufacturing cost and learning .................................................................................................. 24
Table 9: Manufacturing Cost with Learning ($/kg) for key years ............................................................... 24
Table 10: LOW Total Cost $/kg range (material + processing) ................................................................... 24
Table 11: HIGH Total Cost $/kg range (material + processing) ................................................................... 25
Table 12: High and Low Definitions for Selected Variables ........................................................................ 26
Table 13: Expected Variable Value for Select Years.................................................................................... 26
Table 14: Scenarios for Unibody Vehicles ................................................................................................... 28
Table 15: Cost and Mass Reduction Analysis for Unibody Vehicle Scenarios............................................. 30
Table 16: Scenarios for Body-on-Frame vehicles ........................................................................................ 33
Table 17: Cost and Mass Reduction Analysis for Body-on-Frame Vehicle Scenarios ................................. 35

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                                                          3
Glossary
Steel Grades

                                                                                                 Ultimate Tensile
 Category                      Acronym             Description
                                                                                                 Strength (MPa) Range

 Low Strength (LSS)            Mild                Mild Steel                                    Less than 270

                               IF                  Intersitial Free                              410-420

 High Strength Steels (HSS)    BH                  Bake Hardenable                               340-400

                               HSLA                High-Strength Low Alloy                       450-780

                               DP                  Dual Phase                                    440-1270

 Advanced High Strength        FB                  Ferritic-bainitic (SF - stretch flangeable)   450-600
 Steels (AHSS)                 CP                  Complex Phase                                 800-1470

                               MS                  Martensitic                                   1200-1500

                               TRIP                Transformation-induced plasticity             600-980
 Ultra High Strength Steels
                               HF                  Hot-formed (boron)                            480-1900
 (UHSS)
                               TWIP                Twinning-induced plasticity                   900-1200

Aluminum Grades

 Category                                 Series                      Acronym

 Commercially Pure Aluminum               1xxx                        Al

 Heat-Treatable Alloys                    2xxx , 6xxx , 7xxx          Al

 Non Heat-Treatable Alloys                3xxx , 4xxx , 5xxx          Al

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                          4
Acknowledgments
The authors of this report thank the industry experts from various companies that provided data for this
research. Our special thanks to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)
Committee to entrust CAR to conduct this research.
Companies which contributed data to this study include:
    •   American Chemistry Council                               •   Ford Motor Company
    •   American Iron and Steel Institute                        •   General Motors
    •   ArcelorMittal                                            •   Hexion
    •   Automotive Aluminum Advisors                             •   Nissan
    •   BASF                                                     •   Novelis
    •   Ducker Worldwide                                         •   The Aluminum Association
    •   Fiat Chrysler Automobiles                                •   U.S. Steel

Sincerely
Bailo, Modi, Schultz, Fiorelli, Smith, Snell

For citations and reference to this publication, please use the following:
        Bailo, C., Modi, S., Schultz, M., Fiorelli, T., Smith, B., & Snell, N. (2020). (publication). Vehicle
        Mass Reduction Roadmap Study 2025-2035. Ann Arbor, MI: Center for Automotive Research.

                                          3005 Boardwalk, Suite 200
                                            Ann Arbor, MI 48108
                                             www.cargroup.org

 CAR's mission is to conduct independent research and analysis to educate, inform and advise
 stakeholders, policymakers, and the general public on critical issues facing the automotive
 industry, and the industry's impact on the U.S. economy and society.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                         5
Background and Objective
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on Assessment of
Technologies for Improving Fuel Economy of Light-Duty Vehicles, Phase 3 is tasked by The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with providing estimates of the potential cost, fuel
economy improvements, and barriers to deployment of technologies for improving fuel economy in
2025-2035 light-duty vehicles. The National Academies Committee is currently investigating the state of
vehicle mass reduction technology readiness and the impact of mass reduction on fuel economy while
maintaining vehicle performance and safety requirements.
The reduction of in-use GHG emissions from light-duty passenger vehicles presents a vital opportunity to
minimize motor vehicles' environmental impact. Vehicle mass reduction is one pathway to reduce
vehicle emissions while improving performance. Considerable resources have been expended by the
regulators trying to estimate the lowest cost feasible for the mass reduction of light-duty vehicles.
Detailed teardown and cost studies performed by reputable engineering firms have aggressively
approached lightweighting on a handful of vehicles, producing several innovative ideas. However,
automakers respond by pointing out that there are risks, business constraints, and customer
requirements that these studies do not address. Further, extrapolating the results from one or a few
teardown studies to over 1,000 vehicle models for sale in the U.S. market is inappropriate. The task of
assessing mass reduction trends is critical and challenging.
The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) was hired under contract by NASEM to study vehicle mass
reduction for model years 2025-2035. Over the past decade, CAR has been a leader in light-duty vehicle
mass reduction research. CAR has done work on assessing the real-world barriers to implementing mass
reduction technologies (J. Baron, 2016). CAR also worked with nine global vehicle manufacturers to
examine material trends over the next decade (Baron & Modi, 2016). The project still stands as one of
the most cooperative and thorough analyses done to date. CAR collected data on 42 vehicles from 4
segments representing 50 percent of the U.S. light-duty fleet. Most recently, CAR has published a
Materials and Manufacturing Technology Roadmap (Modi & Vadhavkar, 2019) that examined the likely
penetration of materials for the automotive body-in-white.

The objective of this Study is as below:
    •   Describe the available opportunities for shifts in vehicle body-in-white and closure material
        application in vehicle model years (MY) 2025-2035.
    •   Estimate mass-reduction opportunity by each segment in MY2025, MY2030, MY2035, keeping in
        mind technology readiness, automaker development plans, SME opinion, and CAFE/GHG
        regulations.
    •   Based on mass reduction opportunities, create scenarios for possible material penetration by
        each vehicle type.
    •   Use the scenarios to estimate the incremental costs for mass reduction opportunities.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                   6
Research Approach
The project's research relies on CAR material and manufacturing roadmaps, publications by other
organizations, and information collected through several automaker and supplier interviews. Data
sources include, but are not limited to:
      •    Vehicle repair manuals
      •    Conference presentations
      •    NHTSA and EPA sponsored vehicle lighweighting studies
      •    SAFE Rule: Final Regulatory Impact Analysis
      •    Automaker and supplier interviews
The research focuses on vehicle body-in-white and closures for primary mass reduction opportunities.
Powertrain mass-reduction is considered only for calculating mass decompounding opportunities. The
baseline for this project is the U.S. MY2020 light-duty vehicle fleet.

Estimating Baseline Material Technology
The baseline model year for this research is 2020. There are hundreds of different vehicles (nameplates)
in the U.S. fleet. Studying the material technology of every vehicle is not practical. Moreover, material
information is not readily available in public databases. Therefore, CAR researchers decided to
investigate the top-selling vehicles in the U.S. fleet. Table 1 lists the vehicles studied to establish the
baseline material technology. The segments are the same as defined by NHTSA.1 These 33 vehicles
represent greater than 50 percent of the U.S. vehicle sales in 2019. This reports refer to these vehicles
as the baseline fleet.
Table 1: Vehicles studied for baseline material analysis
    Small Car            Mid-Size Car          Small SUV             Mid-Size SUV         Pickup
    Honda Civic          Ford Fusion           Jeep Wrangler         Traverse             Silverado
    Honda Accord         Tesla Model 3         Chevy Equinox         Pacifica             Ram Pickup
    Hyundai Elantra                            Ford Escape           Explorer             F Series
    Nissan Altima                              Edge                  Pilot                Sierra
    Nissan Sentra                              CR-V                  Grand Cherokee       Tacoma
    Toyota Camry                               Tucson                Highlander
    Toyota Corolla                             Cherokee
                                               Compass
                                               CX-5
                                               Rogue
                                               Outback
                                               Forester
                                               Rav4

1
    NHTSA further categorizes vehicles in mass market and performance for each segment.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                   7
Analysis of the baseline fleet (the 33 vehicles) revealed that 73 percent of the vehicles were redesigned
(generation change) after MY2016. According to vehicle production forecasts by IHS Markit Inc., 40
percent of the baseline fleet vehicles are expected to be redesigned by MY2025.
CAR researchers referred to the vehicle repair manuals to study the materials used in the baseline fleet.
The repair manuals are published for the collision repair shops to inform them about the vehicles'
materials used in the critical structural components. Most repair manuals contain information on safety-
critical body-in-white (BIW) and closure parts. In a 2016 CAR study (Baron & Modi, 2016), the
researchers identified key components essential to understand mass-reduction (M.R.) initiatives. The
research team studied the materials used in these components for the baseline fleet vehicles (using
repair manuals). Table 2 shows the materials used in the MY2020 baseline fleet versus the materials
identified for the same components for the five percent mass-reduction level in the 2016 CAR study.2
Table 2: Materials in MY2020 versus MY2016

    Components                     MY2020 baseline fleet                    2016 study: 5% M.R. level

    Fender                         BH Steel and Aluminum (50:50)            HSS/BH Steel
    A-pillar                       UHSS 1500 Hot Formed                     UHSS HF Steel
    Floor                          HSS 440-590 with UHSS Reinforce.         Mild with AHSS
    Front Bumper Structure         Mostly Aluminum with some Steel          Aluminum
    Roof Panel                     Mild/B.H. Steel                          Mild Steel
    Door Outer                     LSS And Aluminum                         B.H. Steel and Aluminum
    Hood                           95% Aluminum                             Aluminum
    Decklid                        LSS, Al, Mag, Comp.                      B.H. Steel and Aluminum
    Engine Cradle/Front frame      LSS 400-600                              HSLA
    Steering Knuckle               HSS 400-500 And Aluminum                 Aluminum
    IP Beam                        HSS And Two Magnesium                    AHSS
Source: CAR Research, Vehicle repair manuals

Material analysis suggests that the MY2020 fleet has advanced material technologies that should result
in around five percent lighter curb weight than the MY2016 baseline. However, this does not tell the
entire story. CAR researchers compared the actual curb weights and footprints of the MY2020 to the
MY2016 vehicles (see Appendix A). As shown in Table 3, the finding confirms that the real world curb
weight reduction is much lower than five percent. Also, the average footprint has increased for all
vehicle segments.

2
 The 2016 study asked automakers the material roadmap (for key components) for 5%, 10%, and 15% target curb
weight reduction over the 2016 fleet.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                       8
Table 3: Curb weight and Footprint Comparison: current model year 2020 vs previous model year 2016 3

                                              SmallCar            SmallSUV             MidSUV                Pickup
     Avg. Curb Weight Decrease                  0%                  2%                   1%                    4%
       Avg. Footprint Increase                  2%                  1%                   4%                    6%

                                              Unibody          Body on Frame
     Avg. Curb Weight Decrease                  1%                  3%
       Avg. Footprint Increase                  2%                  6%
Source: CAR Research

The real-world mass reduction achievements do NOT match the mass reduction potential of the
material technologies already implemented in the baseline MY2020 fleet. CAR research found two
primary reasons for this discrepancy:

    Q1. Mass Add-Back: automakers often need to add weight to improve vehicles' safety, performance,
        and customer expectations. Mass for safety is required for crashworthiness and electronic
        devices such as cameras, sensors, computers, etc. Mass for performance might be added for
        attributes such as improvements in stiffness, the quietness of the ride, lowering the center of
        gravity, equalizing the load distribution, unsprung mass reduction, etc. Automakers also add
        mass to satisfy customer demand for better comfort. In the 2016 CAR study, automakers
        indicated that the total mass add-back (safety plus performance) expected for cars today
        averaged 4.9 percent for cars and 4.6 percent for light-duty trucks.

    Q2. Footprint Increase: vehicles, in general, have increased in size because of customer demands.
        The baseline fleet has a 2-6 percent larger footprint than the MY2016 fleet. This increase takes
        away the real-world curb weight reduction.

Therefore, we conclude that the MY2020 baseline fleet has advanced material technology but is not
significantly lighter than the MY2016 fleet.

3
  Analysis includes only the top selling baseline fleet vehicles (33 nameplates). Analysis of the entire US fleet might
produce different results. MidCar segment has only two vehicles in top selling 1)Ford Fusion 2)Tesla Model 3. Ford
Fusion footprint increased by 6% and mass increased by 4%. Tesla Model 3 has no previous generation for
comparison.
To avoid model year and production year confusion, the comparisons were made for two model years before and
after the latest generation change model year. For example,

Ford F150 redesign in MY2015
MR = (MY2013 CW) – (MY2017 CW),
MR is positive if the vehicle got lighter.

Jeep Cherokee redesign in MY2020
Delta footprint = (MY2020 CW) – (MY2018 CW) [since 2022 does not exist)
Footprint is positive if the vehicle got bigger.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                               9
Automaker Interview Summary
CAR researchers interviewed several automakers to understand future mass-reduction opportunities.
Below are the questions and key points from the conversations.
    Q1. Is lightweighting an important decision factor for material selection in MY2025-2035 vehicles?
        What factors will affect its increase or decrease in importance?
Almost all interviewees said lightweighting would be an essential factor for material selection in
MY2025-2035 vehicles. However, the importance will depend on multiple variables such as cost, system
integration, supply base/chain, sustainability, vehicle program targets and timing, and production
volume. Vehicle performance requirements must be met regardless of lightweighting importance.
Table 4 lists positive, negative, and uncertain drivers that will govern lightweighting's importance in the
2025-2035 timeframe.
Table 4: Drivers that will govern the importance of ligthweighting in the 2025-2035 timeframe

         Positive Drivers                       Negative Drivers                       Uncertain

 •Increase in on-board                    •Significant increase in           •CAFE and GHG regulations
  technology (customer                     battery energy density and        •A potential shift in the
  facing, sensors, control                 reduction in battery cost          regulatory narrative
  modules, etc.)                          •Significant improvements in        towards full life vehicle
 •Increase of vehicle                      powertrain technology for          emissions
  electrification                          conventional ICE
 •Vehicle redesign cycles                 •Investments shifting
 •Automaker sustainability                 towards ADAS
  targets
 •Improvements in dissimilar
  material joining

Source: CAR Research

    Q2. Are the criteria for lightweighting different for battery electric vehicles than internal
        combustion vehicles? Will increases in energy density and battery cost reduction alter the
        selection criterion for lightweighting of the electric vehicles?
Most respondents said that the primary purpose of mass-reduction for fossil fuel vehicles is controlling
fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions. For electric vehicles, the primary goal is to increase the
range. However, the material strategies for lightweighting may not differ much for BEVs versus ICE once
batteries are lightweight and inexpensive.
Both battery energy density and battery costs are critical decision factors in the mass-reduction targets
and materials qualification criterias to achieve the targets. Energy density, if it drives a lighter battery
pack (as opposed to, for example, driving up consumer range expectations), will lower the
lightweighting targets. Also, as the cost of battery storage decreases, the value of lightweighting
decreases because the automakers can put a less expensive, bigger battery to match the range,
compared to more expensive lightweighting. An opposing argument is that lower battery costs may free
up material cost budgets to spend on lightweighting. However, respondents indicate that the former
scenario is more likely than the latter. Thus, CAR researchers assume that higher battery energy density

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                   10
and lower battery cost will lower lightweighting targets and automakers' appetite to pay for material
technology for this analysis.
    Q3. What are the critical material and manufacturing technologies on which the committee should
        focus its attention for MY2025-2035? Comment on cost, supply chain, design optimization,
        capital investment, after-sales service, etc.
An overwhelming response to this question was that the committee should focus on low cost, high
volume material, and manufacturing technologies. The primary reason for such a response is that the
automotive industry is very cost-sensitive and produces large volumes of vehicles. As automakers are
stressed to develop many new technologies based on global demand, there are limited resources to
develop unless the production volume is large. New-age technologies frequently mentioned in the
interviews include:
Materials Systems: novel low-cost, high-performance composite sandwich construction with
honeycomb cores, next-generation low-cost carbon fibers, 7xxx series aluminum, gen-3 steels,
graphene, and nano-based composites.
Manufacturing: significantly lower-cost high-volume fully-automated polymeric composite
manufacturing methods (e.g., HP-RTM, Spray Transfer Molding (STM), straight and curved pultrusion,
toolless manufacturing, and high-volume additive manufacturing.
Enablers: multi-material (dissimilar material) joining for assembly and disassembly, and predictive
computational and design optimization tools.
CAR research found ongoing research and development efforts in the technologies mentioned above.
The timeline for high-volume commercial production varies significantly by technology, and the
uncertainty is high.
Since most automakers are global companies with standard vehicle platforms that share parts, the
supply chain is critical in the material selection decision process. Experts admitted that the supply base
is limited for carbon fiber and natural fibers.
    Q4. How important is sustainability in material qualification? What role does life cycle assessment
        (LCA) play in material qualification?
All automakers and suppliers said that sustainability is becoming increasingly important in their
companies. Many automakers have specific sustainability goals, the progress of which they report
annually to the investors. Suppliers are getting a greater push from the automakers to have a more
sustainable supply chain. Life cycle analysis (LCA) was also frequently mentioned in the interviews. LCA is
an important tool for selecting sustainable materials; However, quantifiable metrics and long-term
targets are not well defined. Also, there is a lack of standardization for LCA in the automotive industry.
    Q5. With regard to lightweighting, what is fundamentally important for the NAS committee to
        understand and consider when writing the report?
Automakers said that the market forces value per kilogram, as driven by the consumers (price point) and
regulatory requirements (additional heavy content). It is paramount for the committee to understand
the dollar value consumers put on higher performance, higher range, and more features. Furthermore,
the effects of the market forces on the amount of lightweighting automakers can do.
Another factor is manufacturing costs, especially for complex designs (geometry and/or materials).
Manufacturing costs can be higher than material costs. In such a situation, focusing on low-cost raw
materials does not significantly impact the overall cost (or piece cost). Therefore, because of the

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                      11
manufacturing process (not material costs), a lightweighting concept or lightweighting innovation may
not be considered until the industry develops a lower-cost manufacturing method.
    Q6. What vehicle systems do you target for lightweighting?
CAR researchers found that closures are the top priority because they are mostly large, flat panels which
can be a bolt-on to the body-in-white. The body-in-white (BIW) is the second priority as it adds
significant weight to the vehicle. Next in line is unsprung mass, interior components, and powertrain.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                 12
Opportunities for Steel
Steel is a known commodity and has been utilized and continues to be optimized. Therefore,
automakers are familiar with the material for high-volume production. With economies of scale and a
millennium of efficiency improvements, steel costs are lower than other materials. The steel industry is
continuously improving and launching better grades of steel. Push for higher lightweighting targets will
take few vehicle parts away from steel, but steel will remain a dominant material for BIW at least till
2035 for mass-market vehicles.

                          Current Advantage
                          •Broad UTS range: 200 Mpa to 2000 Mpa in the last 20 years
                          •Low Cost
                          •Reasonable weight savings using UHSS, Gen-3
                          •Familiarity
                          •Global supply chain

                          Future Opportunities
                          •Steel industry is focusing on improving formability while increasing strength
                          • All steel makers are actively updating infrastructure to lower their carbon footprint.
                           Example: Nucor, Big River and others moving heavily to EAF (electric arc furnaces)
                          •Significant increase in battery energy density and reduction in battery cost might drive
                           automakers to reassess their priorities for lightweighting for shifting investments to
                           other technologies like ADAS.
                          •Expected to be 50%-55% of the BIW+closures

                          Negatives
                          •Aluminum and polymer composites provide 30%-60% MR and actively investing in
                           cost reduction.
                          •Mass add-back due to autonomous technology can force automakers to
                           lightweight further by switching to other materials.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                         13
Opportunities for Aluminum
Aluminum is the prime competitor of steel. It provides a 35-40 percent mass reduction over lower grade
steels. Like steel, aluminum is a known commodity with a well-established global supply chain. CAR
research found aluminum to become a prime material for use in closures and outer body panels.
Aluminum will increase from the current 10-13 percent to 20-22 percent of the BIW and closures
subsystem.

                          Current Advantage
                          •Aluminum provides 35-40% mass reduction over mild steel.
                          •Aluminum content has increased from 200/lbs per vehicles in 2000 to over 400
                           lbs/vehicles in 2020. This growth is driven by use of aluminum in hoods and other
                           closures
                          •Aluminum claims to be the most recycled material in the world, 70-80%
                          •Global supply chain

                          Future Opportunities
                          •Doors and other bolt-on components will continue to be an opportunity for
                           Aluminum.
                          •Industry is working on new 6xxx and 7xxx grades (gen-2 and gen-3)
                          •Continuous casting has potential to reduce conversion cost of aluminum sheet
                           products.
                          •Few premium brands such as Audi, Jaguar prefer aluminum
                          •Expected to be 20-25% of the BIW+closures

                          Negatives
                          •The manufacturing plant is totally disrupted by AL alloys and the usage of
                           adhesives. This really explodes the cost, so high volume, totally new platform
                           vehicles are the best applications.
                          •BIW shift to aluminum has not picked up after Ford F-series trucks and Tesla
                           Model S. In-fact, other automakers have chosen a AHSS strategy for high-volume
                           vehicles (for example, Chevy Silverado, Tesla Model 3).
                          •Significant increase in battery density and shift of investment to ADAS can limit
                           lightweighting initiatives

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                    14
Opportunities for Polymer Composites
Polymer composites offer significant lightweighting over steel and aluminum. They also simplify the
design and reduce the number of parts. Polymers will play a significant role in achieving higher
lightweighting requirements. For premium, performance-driven vehicles, they might be a dominant
material. Since polymer composites are application-specific and not a commodity product, the cost will
remain a challenge for high-volume production. With the increasing push towards sustainability,
recyclability and reusability of polymers also remain a concern. Interviews with experts reveal that
suppliers are diligently working to find sustainable plastics and polymer composites.

                         Current Advantage
                         •Polymer composites like CFRP, GFRP, SMC offer potential for 60-70%
                          lightweighting
                         •Part consolidation and low tooling cost lowers overall cost.

                         Future Opportunities
                         •Opportunities in liftgate, door inner, fender, roof panel, front bulkhead, floor
                          reinforcement, A/B pillar reinforcement, truck bed, seats
                         •Expected to be 8-12% of the BIW+Closures

                         Negatives
                         •In terms of $/lbs, polymer composites will remain expensive over metals.
                         •Major barriers
                          •High raw material cost
                          •Different tooling than metals
                          •Paint shop for BIW applications
                          •Joining
                          •Design

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                      15
Opportunities for Magnesium
Magnesium is at par with polymer composites in mass reduction opportunities. However, magnesium
suffers from galvanic corrosion issues when used with other materials, and the supply chain is not well
established. Also, there are issues with forming and brittleness in magnesium parts. Therefore,
magnesium will have limited use in the non-exposed parts of BIW and closures.

                          Current Advantage
                          •Magnesium provides 60-70% mass reduction over mild steel.

                          Future Opportunities
                          •Limited opportunities in vehicle front end components and powertrain castings
                          •Expected to be 3-6% of the BIW+closures

                          Negatives
                          •Use of magnesium remains low (1%) and is limited to inner body parts. Examples,
                           liftgate inner, IP beam, seats
                          •Major barriers:
                           •High cost and limited supply chain
                           •Low formability
                           •Corrosion issues
                           •Joining

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                    16
Material Mass Reduction Percentages used in this Study
The weight reduction opportunity for materials depends on the design of the part and the
manufacturing processes. However, there is a general understanding of the expected range of mass
reduction each material can provide. Table 5 from the U.S. Department of Energy lists the range of
mass-reduction estimates for each material.
Table 5: Mass Reduction Potential of Materials
 Lightweight Material                         Mass Reduction Opportunity
 Magnesium                                    30-70%
 Carbon fiber composites                      50-70%
 Aluminum and Al matrix composites            30-60%
 Titanium                                     40-55%
 Glass fiber composites                       25-35%
 Advanced high strength steel                 15-25%
 High strength steel                          10-28%
Source: U.S. Department of Energy

Based on the interviews conducted for this project and the literature survey, the authors decided to use
the mass reduction percentages listed in Table 6.
Table 6: Mass Reduction percentages of each material use d for this project

 Material                        MR% (relative to mild steel)
 AHSS                                       10%
 UHSS                                       25%
 Aluminum                                   45%
 Magnesium                                  50%
 Polymer Composite                          60%
Source: CAR Research

Secondary Mass Reduction
The 2015 NASEM report suggested that a powertrain downsizing opportunity exists when the glider
mass is lightweighted by at least 10 percent (Cost, Effectiveness, and Deployment of Fuel Economy
Technologies for Light-Duty Vehicles, 2015). The committee found that a reduced mass vehicle would
allow an additional 40 percent of the primary mass removed from cars (unibody) and an additional 25
percent of the primary mass removed for trucks (body-on-frame).
Automakers' interviews confirmed the NASEM committee findings. Therefore, we have used the same
approach to calculate secondary mass reduction opportunities in this report.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                17
Understanding the Cost of Lightweighting
The cost of lightweighting may seem like a simple material replacement cost. However, many factors
influence the real-world lightweighting cost, including part complexity, part size, manufacturing process,
annual volume, capital investment, additional labor, factory location, and reengineering effort.
Moreover, mass add-back takes away a large portion of the mass-reduction achieved. Figure 1 shows a
generic mass-reduction cost curve for an automaker. Please note:
    •   The model year 2020 baseline vehicle has advanced material technology and, therefore, already
        ahead in the curve.
    •   There is a distribution of material technology in the U.S. fleet with vehicles more and less
        advanced than the average vehicle.
    •   Mass reduction becomes expensive with real-world constraints (curve shifts upwards).
    •   Mass add-back reduces the actual curb weight reduction even after implementing lightweight
        material technology.

Figure 1: Generic Mass-Reduction Cost Curve

Source: CAR Research

Cost of Materials and Manufacturing
For understanding the cost of lightweighting, it is vital to understand the raw material and
manufacturing costs. Vehicle teardown studies sponsored by the NHTSA and EPA have used detailed
cost models to account for raw material, equipment, labor, energy, scrap, engineering, overhead, etc.
Creating such a model is out-of-scope of this project. To arrive at a reasonable range of estimates for
different levels of mass-reduction, CAR researchers performed an extensive literature survey and
interviewed material suppliers to understand the raw material and manufacturing costs.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                   18
Raw Material Prices
Below is the discussion on individual raw material prices. The information presented below refers to
multiple sources. Please refer to the bibliography for citations.
Statistical forecasting models' performance degrades rapidly as the forecast horizon expands. A review
of the commodity price forecasting literature indicates that forecasts are, at best, accurate to a time
horizon of three months. Given a fifteen-year forecast horizon, statistical methods are inappropriate.
Thus, we rely on long-term historical patterns in the data for steel and aluminum prices.
Steel Prices
For steels, long-run inflation-adjusted (using the implicit GDP deflator, base year 2019) prices are
relatively constant, with deviations driven by demand shocks and geopolitical events (collapse of the
USSR, the industrialization of China). Given this stability of real prices, we assume steel will remain at
roughly its long-term real price throughout the forecast period. The United States Geological Survey
(USGS) historical data on steel prices, which uses hot-rolled special bar quality carbon steel as its
benchmark, has averaged $0.85 per kg since the late 1950s. At current cost deltas across steel grades,
this implies a long-run, inflation-adjusted average price between $0.70 and $0.75 per kg for cold-rolled
mild steel.
Discussion with industry participants and available data indicate that cold-rolled steel is almost always
more expensive than hot-rolled special bar quality (SBQ). The $0.70 per kg figure is definitively a lower
bound and may result from idiosyncrasies in the limited data available for translating the USGS SBQ data
to cold-rolled prices. To account for uncertainties, we use a range of $0.70-$1.00 per kg for cold-rolled
mild steel.
Figure 2: Hot-Rolled Steel Price Trend

                                  USGS Hot-Rolled SBQ Steel
 1,400
 1,200
 1,000
   800
   600
   400
   200
      0
          1929
          1933
          1937
          1941
          1945
          1949
          1953
          1957
          1961
          1965
          1969
          1973
          1977
          1981
          1985
          1989
          1993
          1997
          2001
          2005
          2009
          2013
          2017

            Nominal Price per Metric Ton        Real Price per Metric Ton       Average 1957-2019

Source: United States Geological Survey

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                      19
Aluminum Prices
Inflation-adjusted aluminum prices are less stable than steel prices, with a pronounced and rapid decline
in the pre-WWII period. Since 1990, real prices for aluminum ingot have averaged and remained
relatively steady near $2.44 per kg. To reflect uncertainty, we report a high and low around this figure,
based upon the price volatility since 1990. Our low-cost aluminum scenario sees the real price per kg at
$2.135, while the high real price scenario indicates prices at $2.745 per kg.
Figure 3: Aluminum Price Trend

                                                              USGS Aluminum Ingot
 10,000
   8,000
   6,000
   4,000
   2,000
        0
            1929
                   1933
                          1937
                                 1941
                                         1945
                                                1949
                                                       1953
                                                              1957
                                                                     1961
                                                                            1965
                                                                                   1969
                                                                                          1973
                                                                                                 1977
                                                                                                        1981
                                                                                                               1985
                                                                                                                      1989
                                                                                                                             1993
                                                                                                                                    1997
                                                                                                                                           2001
                                                                                                                                                  2005
                                                                                                                                                         2009
                                                                                                                                                                2013
                                                                                                                                                                        2017
                                        Nominal Price per Metric Ton                             Real Price per Metric Ton
                                        Average 1945-1989                                        Average 1990-2019

Source: United States Geological Survey

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                                                                                20
Carbon Fiber Prices
Little information is available for the cost of carbon fiber (C.F.), whether C.F. itself or for carbon fiber
composites (CFC). Those documents and reports that are available are inconsistent as to materials
discussed and often do not clearly specify what is being referenced.4 As baselines are inconsistent and
seldom fully defined, we focus on each document's anticipated percent change from its own baseline.
Overall, documents discussing cost-reduction pathways for C.F. and CFC expect that the development of
alternative precursors will lower the cost of approximately 35 percent for CFC. Process improvements
and fully-scaled production are anticipated to each provide a further 20 percent cost reduction. These
cost reductions are multiplicative, not additive. The expected combined effect of full-scale production
wholly implemented process improvements, and an alternative precursor is approximately a 50 percent
cost reduction for CFC.
Figure 4: Factors affecting CF and CFRP Cost or Price

              Anticipated Reduction in CF Cost or Price from Precursor, Scale, and Process Improvements

                                         PAN Precursor, Full-Scale CF Production

                                                          Polyethylene Precursor

                                                                Textile Precursor

                  PAN Precursor, Full-Scale CF Production, Process Improvements

                                        Lignin Precursor, Full-Scale CF Production

                                       Textile Precursor, Full-Scale CF Production

                Textile Precursor, Full-Scale CF Production, Process Improvements

                                   Alternative Precursors, Process Improvements

                Lignin Precursor, Full-Scale CF Production, Process Improvements

                                                                                     0%   20%   40%   60%   80%    100%

4
 Documents and reports are inconsistent with the materials discussed and often do not specify what is
being referenced. Critical information missing includes:
    •   Differing tow sizes (large tow size CF is significantly lower cost than low tow size CF)
    •   Inconsistent performance characteristics/material qualities
    •   Does "carbon fiber" refer to…
             o Carbon Fiber (CF),
             o Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer / Carbon Fiber Composite (CFRP/CFC), or
             o A product manufactured from CFRP (e.g., CFRP-based door inner)?
    •   Are figures the direct cost of material manufacture or the price paid by a purchaser of the
        material? CF price roughly = CF Production Cost x 1.45*
    •   As a result, even reports citing similar data and time periods provide meaningfully different cost
        figures for CF, CFRP, and parts made from CFRP
    •   Quoted baseline costs/prices vary dramatically across sources, even for consistent materials,
        e.g. 50k tow CF (roughly $12 - $24 / kg)

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                           21
Anticipated Reduction in CFRP Cost or Price

                             Textile Precursor, Full-Scale CF Production

                                                       Lignin Precursor

                 Alternative Precursor and Resin, Process Improvements

                                100% of Feedstock is Recycled Material

                                                                           0%   20%   40%     60%        80%        100%

Source: Warren, 2011; Ennis et al., 2019; Bregar, 2014; Vehicles Technology Office, 2013; Heuss et al., 2012

Our future cost scenarios for CFC follow the same technology pathway, but at different time horizons.
The low-cost CFC scenario assumes that, by 2025, sufficient scale and/or sufficient process
improvements will be implemented to achieve a 20 percent reduction in CFC cost. Further
improvements will occur sufficient for an additional 20 percent cost reduction by 2030, and an
alternative precursor will be available and in-use by 2035. In the high-cost scenario, we did not consider
any improvements to scale or process until 2030, and the experts do not expect an alternate precursor
until after 2035.
Available information on C.F. and CFC costs and prices suggest that per kg nominal costs have remained
roughly constant over the past decade; thus, real costs have fallen. We assume this will continue, and
the effects of general inflation will further reduce CFC's real cost throughout the 15-year forecast
horizon.
Given the full range of baseline cost estimates and anticipated cost reduction pathways, the range of
costs per kg for C.F. and CFRP achievable after full implementation of fully-scaled production, process
improvements, and alternate precursors are:
    •   CF:      $5 – 11 per kg (typical $7 per kg)
    •   CFC:     $9 – 15 per kg (typical $12 per kg)
These figures do not incorporate general inflation. Incorporating inflation and assuming all cost
reduction possibilities are implemented by 2035, CAR estimates CFRP prices could be $8.74 in 2035.
Magnesium Prices
Magnesium is the eighth-most abundant element in the earth's crust, but raw magnesium's price
instability inhibits broader use. The magnesium price is impacted by the demand for aluminum,
titanium, and steel because magnesium is used to make these metals. The Platts Metals Week U.S. spot
Western magnesium price range was $2.10 to $2.20 per pound ($4.62 to $4.85 per kg) throughout the
entire year for an annual average price of $2.15 per pound in 2017, unchanged from the average price
since the beginning of 2014. Global consumption of magnesium is expected to increase by a compound
annual growth rate of about five percent per year from 2017 through 2027 (2017 Minerals Yearbook,
2017). The price of magnesium is unstable and depends on geopolitical factors. For this research, we
have assumed magnesium prices to reduce going forward.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                        22
Material Costs used for this research
For this analysis, CAR researchers created high and low-cost scenarios for 2025-2035. Based on the
research described above, steel prices are kept constant. Aluminum, CFRP, and Magnesium costs are
assumed to decrease over the years. Table 7 shows the cost in dollars per kilogram for each material.
Table 7: High and Low-Cost Scenarios for Materials 2025-2035

                                        LOW Material Cost $/kg range
           Material                     2020            2025                       2030                2035
            Mild                        0.70            0.70                       0.70                0.70
            HSS                         0.83            0.83                       0.83                0.83
            AHSS                        1.10            1.10                       1.10                1.10
            UHSS                        1.15            1.15                       1.15                1.15
             Al                         2.13            2.13                       2.13                2.13
            Mag                         4.50                4.00                  3.50                  3.00
            CFRP                        24.00               19.71                 16.41                 8.74

                                         HIGH Material Cost $/kg range
           Material                     2020             2025                     2030                 2035
            Mild                        1.00              1.00                    1.00                 1.00
            HSS                         1.13              1.13                    1.13                 1.13
            AHSS                        1.40              1.40                    1.40                 1.40
            UHSS                        1.45              1.45                    1.45                 1.45
             Al                         2.74              2.74                    2.74                 2.74
            Mag                         4.80              4.30                    4.00                 3.50
            CFRP                        24.00            24.00                    19.71                16.41
Source: CAR Research

Manufacturing Cost
Manufacturing cost is more difficult to estimate since it depends on many factors such as part
complexity, part size, manufacturing process, the volume of production, and manufacturer's "tribal"
knowledge. CAR researchers interviewed material suppliers and consortiums to understand the
manufacturing cost part of the total part cost. Most respondents gave CAR a range of estimates. To
control the complexity of manufacturing cost, we used averages of the estimates provided to CAR.
In a 2016 CAR study (Baron & Modi, 2016), the authors estimated manufacturing cost reduction due to
time and volume-based learning for different materials5. These learning percentages are used in this
analysis to estimate manufacturing cost reduction through 2035. See Table 8 and Table 9.

5
 There are two different types of learning curves:
Time-Based – Over time, plant operations adapt to using new material and new techniques for processing and
handling of these materials. This enables the procedure to increase process speed and efficiency, resulting in lower
overall cost.
Volume-Based – Higher volume bring opportunities for economies of scale. It can lead to a reduction in the cost of
production per part. Higher volume demands drive more rigorous processing, which can create additional
opportunities to improve overall process times.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                           23
Table 8: Manufacturing cost and learning

                       Manufacturing cost as         Manufacturing cost
    Material
                        part of total cost %     % Reduction/ year (learning)
       Mild                     47%                           0.00%
       HSS                      41%                           0.00%
      AHSS                      41%                           0.56%
    UHSS (HF)                   41%                           0.56%
        AL                      40%                           1.26%
       Mag                      24%                           0.88%
      Comp                      58%                           2.36%
Source: CAR Research
Table 9: Manufacturing Cost with Learning ($/kg) for key years
    Material           2020           2025         2030          2035
      Mild             0.75           0.75         0.75          0.75
       HSS             0.68           0.68         0.68          0.68
      AHSS             0.87           0.84         0.82          0.80
      UHSS             0.90           0.88         0.85          0.83
        Al             1.63           1.53         1.43          1.34
      Mag              1.47           1.40         1.34          1.29
      Comp             33.14          29.41        26.10         23.16
Source: CAR Research

Total Cost
To calculate the total cost for material changes, the team added the low and high material costs and
each material's manufacturing cost. This exercise resulted in Table 10 and Table 11.
Table 10: LOW Total Cost $/kg range (material + processing)

  Material         2020           2025          2030          2035
     Mild          1.45            1.45         1.45          1.45
     HSS           1.51            1.51         1.51          1.51
    AHSS           1.97            1.94         1.92          1.90
    UHSS           2.05            2.03         2.00          1.98
      Al           3.76            3.66         3.57          3.48
     Mag           5.97            5.40         4.84          4.29
    Comp           57.14          49.13        42.51          31.90
Source: CAR Research

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                24
Table 11: HIGH Total Cost $/kg range (material + processing)
  Material          2020              2025           2030            2035
     Mild              1.75           1.75            1.75           1.75
     HSS               1.81           1.81            1.81           1.81
    AHSS               2.27           2.24            2.22           2.20
    UHSS               2.35           2.33            2.30           2.28
      Al               4.37           4.27            4.18           4.09
     Mag               6.27           5.70            5.34           4.79
    Comp            57.14            53.41           45.81          39.57
Source: CAR Research

Factors Affecting Automaker Lightweighting Targets
Automaker interviews revealed that lightweighting targets would depend on four primary factors 1) fuel
economy and GHG regulations, 2) electrification volume, 3) battery cell energy density (weight of the
battery pack) and, 4) battery pack cost.
Fuel Economy and GHG regulations – the government regulations on fuel economy and greenhouse
gases affect automakers' mass-reduction target the most. Since most automakers sell in multiple
countries and have common vehicle platforms, worldwide government regulations affect material
strategies, not just the U.S. regulations.
An industry estimate is that a 10 percent reduction in vehicle's mass will produce approximately six to
seven percent reduction in fuel consumption for passenger cars and four to five percent reduction for
light-duty trucks (Cost, Effectiveness, and Deployment of Fuel Economy Technologies for Light-Duty
Vehicles, 2015). Therefore, lightweighting is an essential tool for automakers to achieve fleet fuel
economy targets.
Fuel economy and GHG regulations also affect electrification volume in the fleet. Since electric vehicles'
fuel economy (miles per gallon equivalent) is higher than internal combustion engines, automakers can
positively impact their CAFE targets by adding electric vehicles to the fleet. For this research, we have
assumed electrification volume as a proxy variable for fuel economy and GHG regulations.
Battery Cell Energy Density – Assuming similar performance, a battery-electric vehicle usually has a
higher curb weight than an internal combustion engine vehicle. The primary reason for the weight
difference is because the current batteries have lower energy density than gasoline. A vehicle with 10
gallons of onboard fuel (337 kWh energy) weighs an additional 27-30 kg, and the vehicle gradually drops
that weight as the fuel is combusted. On the other hand, a battery-electric vehicle's (BEV) battery pack
may contain 100 kWh of energy but weigh 385-544 kg. Automakers need a higher battery capacity to
meet range targets, which means adding significant weight to the vehicle with the current battery
density. Therefore, battery weight is an essential factor affecting lightweighting targets.
Battery Pack Cost – Achieving long-range is paramount for selling electric vehicles in high volume. The
range can be increased by adding battery capacity or reducing the weight of the vehicle. Since batteries
are expensive, adding battery capacity adds a high cost to the vehicle. However, if the battery pack's
cost decreases significantly, adding battery capacity becomes a cheaper option than lightweighting.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                   25
Automaker interview reveals that decreasing battery pack cost might negatively impact lightweighting
targets.
For each of the above variables, high and low values were defined (see Table 12). Table 13 shows the
expected values of the selected variables for the study years.
Table 12: High and Low Definitions for Selected Variables

            Variables                          High                                  Low

      Electrification Volume
                                   >25% BEV, 30-50% Hybrids
Figure 5: 2020 Baseline vehicle material distribution - Unibody

                                          Cars and Unibody SUVs

 2020 Baseline

  2011 Accord

                 0%    10%      20%       30%      40%      50%        60%    70%    80%    90%     100%

                                   Mild    HSS   AHSS    UHSS     Al   Mag   Comp

Figure 6: 2020 Baseline vehicle material distribution - Body-on-Frame

                                          Pickups (Body-on-Frame)

  2020 Baseline

 2014 Silverado

                  0%   10%       20%       30%     40%      50%        60%     70%   80%    90%     100%

                                   Mild    HSS   AHSS    UHSS     Al   Mag   Comp

Source: CAR Research

As discussed in the previous section, future vehicle material distribution will depend in part on
electrification volume, battery pack cost, and battery cell energy density. CAR researchers created
scenarios using the three variables for the study years 2020-2025, 2025-2030, and 2030-2035. For each
scenario, we created a material roadmap for unibody and body-on-frame vehicles. The following
sections will discuss these scenarios and corresponding material trends.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                             27
Material Roadmap and Incremental Cost ($/kg) – Unibody Vehicles
The updated Honda Accord was used to study material distribution scenarios for unibody vehicles.
Table 14 lists the unibody scenarios, expected material trends, and the expected year range. We have
based these estimates on the information collected through automaker interviews and literature
surveys, including the 2019 CAR technology roadmaps (Modi & Vadhavkar, 2019).
Table 14: Scenarios for Unibody Vehicles
                  Electrification
                     Volume           Battery     Battery
  Scenario                                                      Expected Material Trend           Expected Year
                   (CAFE/GHG         Pack cost    Density
                      proxy)
  Baseline                                                       Body: HSS, AHSS, UHSS
                       Low                High      Low                                                 NA
    2020                                                          Closures: HSS, low Al
  Scenario                                                       Body: HSS, AHSS, UHSS            Mass Market
                       Low                High      Low
    One                                                             Closures: HSS, Al              2025-2030
  Scenario                                                    Body: Aluminum, AHSS, UHSS        Premium Vehicles
                       High               High      Low
    Two                                                         Closures: Al, comp, Mag            2025-2030
  Scenario                                                      Body: AHSS, UHSS, low Al          Mass Market
                       High               Low       Low
   Three                                                               Closures: Al                 2030-35
  Scenario
                       High               Low      High              AHSS intensive                    Low
    Four
Source: CAR Research

Scenario one is where electrification volume remains low, and battery technology and cost remain at
2020 levels. In this case, automakers may continue to use predominantly high strength steel BIW and a
mix of steel and aluminum in the closures. This scenario may apply for the 2025-2030 timeframe.
In scenario two, electrification volume becomes high for performance and customer demand, but the
battery technology does not progress. In this case, automakers will likely have higher lightweighting
targets. They may use aluminum and high strength steel in BIW and a mix of aluminum, magnesium, and
polymer composites in the closures. Scenario two may apply for premium vehicles in the 2025-2030
timeframe.
In scenario three, the electrification volume is high, and the battery pack cost has come down
significantly to support mass-market electric vehicles. In this case, there is medium pressure for
lightweighting since automakers can increase vehicle range at lower costs by adding batteries. Thus, in
scenario three, automakers will likely use high strength steel and aluminum in BIW, and aluminum for
closures.
Scenario four is unlikely in the timeframe because experts do not expect battery density to fall into the
high-value range before 2035.
Based on the material trends for unibody vehicles listed in Table 14, CAR researchers upgraded the
materials for each of the BIW and closure component in a spreadsheet. The team upgraded each
component's material based on CAR's internal material databases and the research team's collective
engineering judgment. The spreadsheet automatically calculates the components' new weights using
the data from Table 6 when the materials are changed, thereby giving the expected mass reduction for
each scenario. The team repeated the exercise for the three unibody scenarios from Table 14.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                     28
Once the materials and weights of BIW and closure components were known, it became possible to
create a graph of each scenario's material distribution (see Figure 7).
Figure 7: Material Penetration for each Scenario - Unibody Vehicles

                                Material Penetration - Cars and Unibody SUVs
   Scenario 3
  Mass Market
    2030-35

   Scenario 2
    Premium
   2025-2030

   Scenario 1
  Mass Market
   2025-2030

 2020 Baseline

                 0%       10%         20%   30%        40%   50%   60%          70%   80%       90%       100%
                                              Scenario 1           Scenario 2                Scenario 3
                      2020 Baseline          Mass Market            Premium                 Mass Market
                                              2025-2030            2025-2030                  2030-35
     Mild                 10%                    0%                    0%                       0%
     HSS                  44%                     35%                 0%                       18%
     AHSS                 40%                     52%                 22%                      49%
     UHSS                  2%                     7%                  6%                       15%
     Al                    4%                     6%                  65%                      18%
     Mag                   0%                     0%                  3%                        0%
     Comp                  0%                     0%                  4%                        0%

Source: CAR Research

To understand the cost penalty for ligthweighting, the team multiplied each component mass with the
high and low cost of material change from Table 10 and Table 11 to understand the incremental cost
range. We then divided these costs by each scenario's mass reduction (in kilograms) to get to the dollars
per kilogram figure. Wherever the cost penalty range was too broad, we consulted with subject-matter-
experts to narrow down the range. Table 15 shows the cost penalty and expected mass reduction for
each of the unibody scenarios. Figure 8 is the expected material roadmap for unibody vehicles with cost
penalties.

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2020                                                                          29
Table 15: Cost and Mass Reduction Analysis for Unibody Vehicle Scenarios
                                                          Cost
                Electrification                                                                      BIW+Closures     Curb Weight
                                   Battery             penalty per
                   Volume                    Battery                                                    Weight         Reduction
  Scenario                          Pack                  kg of        Expected Material Trend                                          Expected Year
                 (CAFE/GHG                   Density                                                   Reduction         (2020
                                    cost                 weight
                    proxy)                                                                          (2020 baseline)    baseline)
                                                         saved
                                                                        Body: HSS, AHSS, UHSS
  Baseline             Low          High       Low         NA                                              NA              NA                NA
                                                                         Closures: HSS, low Al

  Scenario                                              $0.5- $1.5      Body: HSS, AHSS, UHSS                                            Mass Market
                       Low          High       Low                                                         ~4%         1.0% - 1.5%
    One                                                 CY: 2030          Closures: HSS, Al                                               2025-2030

                                                        $4.0 -$6.0     Body: Aluminum, AHSS,                            12 - 14%
  Scenario                                                                                                                             Premium Vehicles
                       High         High       Low                              UHSS                       ~37%           (with
    Two                                                 C.Y.: 2030                                                                        2025-2030
                                                                       Closures: Al, CFRP, Mag                         secondary)

  Scenario                                             $1.5 - $3.5     Body: AHSS, UHSS, low Al                                          Mass Market
                       High         Low        Low                                                         ~12%          4 - 6%
   Three                                                CY: 2035              Closures: Al                                                2030-35

  Scenario
                       High         Low       High*         -               AHSS intensive            not in scope                           Low
    Four
Source: CAR Research

Real-world mass reduction might be less due to mass add-back
*High battery density is unlikely in the timeframe
2020 baseline costs used for incremental cost calculations are shown in Table 10: LOW Total Cost $/kg range (material + processing).

© CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH | 2018                                                               30
You can also read